Porto target CSKA coup

FC Porto won a third successive away game against PFC CSKA Moskva in their UEFA Europa League round of 16 opener, and would be happy for history to repeat itself in the return fixture.

• Unbeaten in the competition this term beforehand, CSKA enjoyed plenty of possession throughout the first leg in Moscow but could not penetrate the visitors' back line. Porto's vaunted attack troubled CSKA's defence all evening, although it was midfielder Fredy Guarín who scored the only goal with a fine shot on 70 minutes.

Previous meetings
• The clubs are meeting for a sixth time having been paired in the 2004/05 and 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage. The teams drew 0-0 twice in Porto, with Valeri Gazzaev's side losing both of their home games: 1-0 to Víctor Fernández's Porto in 2004 and 2-0 against Jesualdo Ferreira's side three years later.

• Thus CSKA have yet to win – or score a goal – in five games against Porto.

• The teams for their most recent meeting in Porto, on 13 September 2006, were:
Porto: Helton*, Pepe, Ricardo Quaresma (Alan 61), Lucho González, Anderson, Sektioui (Hélder Postiga 46), Bosingwa, Bruno Alves, Ezequias, Paulo Assunção, Adriano (Lisandro López 71).
CSKA: Akinfeev*, Šemberas*, Ignashevich*, Aleksei Berezutski*, Daniel Carvalho (Gusev 90+1), Vágner Love* (Olić 76), Krasić, Zhirkov, Dudu Cearense (Vasili Berezutski* 87), Aldonin, Rahimić*.

*eligible to play in this game

• CSKA enjoyed perhaps their finest night on Portuguese soil, beating Sporting Clube de Portugal 3-1 at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon to win the 2005 UEFA Cup.

Match background
• CSKA have played eight games against Portuguese sides overall, with the record W2 D3 L3 (W1 D3 L0 in Portugal).

• Their five games against CSKA represent all Porto's experience of Russian opposition.

• Prior to a 1-0 loss against Sevilla FC in the second leg of their round of 32 success, Porto had won eight of their last nine European games, home and away. That defeat was their first in ten continental games under coach André Villas-Boas.

• The loss against Porto was CSKA's first in 11 UEFA Europa League games this season; eight wins, two draws and one defeat. That run includes four wins and a draw on their travels.

• Porto have now won all six of their away games in the UEFA Europa League this season, scoring 13 goals and conceding just three.

Team facts
• Liverpool FC won the UEFA Cup three times (in 1973, 1976 and 2001) and are thus the most successful side left in this season's competition, though PSV Eindhoven (1978), Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1988), AFC Ajax (1992), Porto (2003), CSKA (2005) and FC Zenit St Petersburg (2008) have also won it.

• This is the only round of 16 tie that features two former UEFA Cup winners.

• Giuseppe Rossi's goal in Villarreal CF's 3-2 win at Bayer 04 Leverkusen last week put him level with the 2010/11 competition's top scorer, Porto's Falcao, on seven goals since the start of the group stage. CSKA's Tomáš Necid is their closest rival with six goals.

• CSKA and Porto have had more shots on goal since the start of the group stage than any other sides in the tournament; 69 for Porto, 67 for CSKA.

• Porto have been awarded more corners than any other side in this season's UEFA Europa League; 81 going into the return leg against CSKA.

Penalties
• Porto have been involved in three UEFA penalty shoot-outs. They lost 5-3 in Porto against UC Sampdoria in a 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter final, beat Colombia's CD Once Caldas 8-7 after a 0-0 draw in Yokahama, Japan, to win the 2004 European/South American Cup and lost 4-1 at home against FC Schalke 04 to lose a 2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.

• CSKA lost their only previous European penalty shoot-out, going down 7-6 at Ferencvárosi TC after their 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.